


In Colder Weather

by havisham



Category: Captain America (2011), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Canon Het Relationship, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Ficlet, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-11
Updated: 2012-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-05 03:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/402076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havisham/pseuds/havisham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He said I wanna see you again / But I'm stuck in colder weather</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Colder Weather

Peggy died thirteen years before Steve wakes up. Heart disease. 

Nothing anyone can do about it. 

 

\+ 

 

"...You realize that in _this_ universe, time-travel is _entirely possible_ , right?"

Tony's being sarcastic again, and Steve knows, _now_ , that the best way to deal with Tony's moods is to smile and nod, and wait until it passes. 

"Hey," Tony says, in a softer voice. "You could see her again." 

Steve opens his mouth to say no, it would be irresponsible (irresistible) to do anything like that, but then the alert goes off and soon the New York skyline is choked with fast-falling alien debris, like snow but far more horrible, and there's no time left for wistfulness. 

 

\+ 

 

The reasons for traveling back to 1964 are urgent (a time-traveling mad man wants to prevent Tony from ever being born) and once that's taken care of, Steve still has a night in New York City to fill up. And yes, by some strange coincidence, it's the anniversary of his plane-crash, and he can't resist slipping away for a time and taking a cab to the Stork Club. 

(Everyone notices that Cap is missing. No one minds.) 

He goes without uniform, not as Cap but as regular, old Steve Rogers, in civilan dress and all. (It feels odd to wear a hat again, after so much time going without.) The wind whips at his coat. When he opens the door, he lets the snow in, which earns him a withering look from the headwaiter. He's seated, and waits. 

He's sure she won't come in, he's sure of it -- he can't blame her, not in the least, if anyone knew about unavoidable delays, it's him -- but when she arrives, it takes his breath away. His super-soldier heart beats painfully hard. 

She has fine wrinkles in the corners of her mouth and eyes, and her hair, though still dark, has a streak or two of gray in it. 

She is as beautiful as he remembers her. 

"You're late," Peggy says, her voice crisp. "And I suppose you can't stay long." 

"I was delayed," he says, getting up, taking her offered hand. "By the cold."


End file.
